India has made it through the group stages of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 without Abhishek Sharma managing to score a single run. The World No. 1 batter was expected to light up the tournament. He was piling on runs effortlessly leading up to the T20 World Cup, and India was counting on his skills. Now, fast forward, and the southpaw is left scratching his head, trying to figure out how to get on the scoreboard. Abhishek was in top form before the tournament kicked off. He had never experienced a slump like the one he’s facing now. His international debut was a bit shaky, with just 170 runs at an average of 18.88 in his first 10 matches. But when the pressure was on and it was time to step up, Abhishek turned things around. During the 4-match T20I series against South Africa in November 2024, he stumbled in the first two games but then found his rhythm. He went on a scoring spree that propelled him to the top of the T20I batting rankings. Over a stretch of 24 games, he smashed 1029 runs at a strike rate close to 200 and an average of 45. However, bowlers have started targeting his stumps more, limiting his ability to play freely. The law of averages has caught up with him, as he’s recorded five ducks in his last seven innings. The opening dilemma for India has often revolved around Sanju Samson, who has been struggling since 2025. Unfortunately, Abhishek’s slump comes at a crucial time, with India now heading into the Super Eight stages. They’ll be facing South Africa, Zimbabwe, and the West Indies in their group. Also Read | Mohammad Amir Warns Abhishek Sharma After Three Ducks in T20 WC 2026 Is Sanju Samson the Right Choice to Replace Abhishek? It seems like Sanju Samson's fans might be taking aim at Abhishek Sharma's rough patch. Abhishek is really having a tough time scoring even a single run. But Team India isn't looking to swap him out just yet, thanks to his immense potential. It's not that Abhishek is out of form; he's just struggling to find the runs. Right now, Mohammed Amir's ‘slogger’ comment about him might seem spot on, but the fact that Abhishek had a stellar run over 25 matches shows he’s not just some lucky player who hits everything out of the park. On the other hand, Samson has made some fantastic adjustments to his game. His back-and-across movement has limited his ability to play longer innings. In 2026, he’s managed to score just 68 runs at an average of 11.33 over six innings. The key difference between Abhishek and Samson lies in how they’re getting dismissed. With Abhishek, it feels more like bad luck, while Samson's struggles seem to stem from technical issues.